Looking Back at OJ Simpson and the 'Trial of the Century'

hello and welcome to Inside Edition True Crime I'm Mara monano it was called the trial of the century as the OJ Simpson criminal case had all of America talking decades later it still does we open up the Inside Edition Vault to show how we covered the case as it happened this was a real emotional heart-wrenching story here we had OJ Simpson accused of a capital crime and it was tragic it began last Monday with an image no one ever expected to see OJ Simpson in handcuffs his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman the victims of a brutal double murder it would end with an unbelievable drama played out on live TV OJ Simpson murder suspect and fugitive being pursued by police as the nation held its breath and Simpson's friends pleaded with the for football hero just give yourself up man just stop please stop in the time between those two events a media circus rivaling anything in print and broadcast history throughout it all one question on everyone's mind a question no one imagined would ever be asked about one of the nation's most beloved personalities did he do it everyone is speculating last Thursday both victims were laid to rest separately 25-year-old Ronald Goldman a man everyone said was full of dreams dreams that will never be realized and 35-year-old Nicole Simpson OJ's ex-wife at her funeral a grim-looking OJ Simpson the couple's young children by his side after the funerals the media began to report that the arrest of OJ Simpson for murder was imminent it looked like this bizarre week-long drama was about to come to an end but even here in Los Angeles a town full of screenwriters and storytellers no one could have predicted what was going to happen next OJ Simpson the former star running back was about to make his last desperate run he is a wanted murder suspect and we will go find him on Friday OJ Simpson was to have surrendered to authorities he didn't Simpson was declared a fugitive as authorities mounted their Manhunt the rumor mill churned at Nicole Simpson's condo the scene of the murders a huge huge crowd gathered amid speculation that OJ had killed himself there OJ Simpson is not at this location there's nothing going on here the near hysteria over Simpson's whereabouts continued to mount don't feel sorry for me I've had a great life great friends please think of the real OJ and not this lost person at a televised press conference one of OJ's friends read a letter written by Simpson it appeared to us that it was a suicide note and at that point we decided to get in the helicopter and take a look at Canyons and see if we can find OJ veteran pilot and reporter Bob tur has covered virtually every major La news story from the air his aircraft was one of a squadron of news choppers that would document OJ's run Highway Patrol yeah um I think I just saw OJ ssum on the uh five Freeway and there was an off heading he's heading north and I got the license L of the white Broncos 3dh y 503 and and we like looked at him you know uh and he like stared us down like that 911 call helped police zero in on the vehicle Simpson was riding in and within a matter of minutes we were overhead we found him the police found him and at first there was one Patrol unit and within a minute there were literally 20 Patrol units behind him Simpson was in the back of the vehicle driving was his longtime pal Al cowlings who also called 911 this is this is AC I have OJ in the car okay where are you please I'm coming up to five freeway okay right now we all we okay but you got to tell the police to just back off he's still alive that he got a gun to his head he just want to see his mother let me get into the house during the lows speed Pursuit the motorcade would travel some 60 miles going through two counties on three freeways it was an incredible site thousands of people lined up along the side of the road waving and trying to give OJ Simpson support and what we were watching on live television was almost like a funeral for a Fallen Friend this was one time when when we were able to help because there had been enough Bloodshed enough hurt enough pain and we didn't want to see anymore local sports caster Jim Hill is a former pro football player and longtime friend of OJ Simpsons he was among the first to appeal to Simpson over the radio hoping the men in the white Bronco were listening OJ if you can hear me Al if you can hear me whoever is in that truck if you can hear us please Gentlemen please just pull over and stop it was just one of those things that that comes from the heart and when it comes from the heart uh you hope it you're able to reach out and and to touch someone to help someone and we had some people speaking from the heart uh on on that Friday just stop please stop in Jesus name just stop man OJ it's probably the fourth quarter and this is the last play of the game and uh there's no time on the clock in one of the most disturbing twists some Spectators acted like they were at a sporting event a sharp contrast to the reality of a potentially suicidal suspect in a brutal double murder I don't know what what they were doing or what they were even thinking after some 2 hours on the road the Caravan finally pulled up to the Simpson estate with dozens of police officers waiting the tension continued to mount the SWAT team members were in a position to make a move if it were if it was necessary and fortunately it wasn't Al Collings went back and forth from the car to the house on behalf of his friend OJ Simpson it was just an individual that was just lost he was just absolutely lost and he had his best friend in the world with him who I think was trying to prevent him from taking his life finally OJ Simpson got out of the vehicle and went into the house he had a couple of picture frames with him and he walked inside the house and that was the last we saw of him inside Simpson used the restroom had a glass of orange juice and did the one thing he needed to do most he called his mother when you're at that end of the end of the line when you're at the end of the Rope you got to you trying to tie a knot in that end of the rope and hang on you start calling for Mama and so ended the Manhunt OJ Simpson was taken into custody and here in the city of the Angels one of the most celebrated Angels had fallen what rout the as salent may have used that night is still a mystery and the weapon used in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman is is still missing was it as the prosecution suggests contained in a bag that was disposed of at the Los Angeles airport or did it disappear in Chicago well Inside Edition spoke to a retired Los Angeles police officer whose beat was here in the Simpson neighborhood and he offers a unique Theory I think there's a clearly a possibility of another route Jim King patrolled the West Los Angeles area for 22 years he says he has personal knowledge of OJ's troubled p P I dealt with OJ the first time he was u in in a spousal battery situation with margarite so very early on some 20 years ago I began to deal with OJ in that regard margarit has since denied that OJ ever hit her while he has no direct access to evidence in the Simpson trial one thing he takes issue with is the route investigators say OJ may have taken from Nicole's apartment on Bundy Drive back to his Rockingham estate if OJ did commit the crime she would want to get back to Rockingham as quietly and as repetitiously as possible Kenner is a very uh easy road to do that Homewood is even better the LD refuses to comment on what specific routes they searched but they did say they checked out all possibilities King believes he knows of areas where the police didn't look and speculates that it would have been possible for Simpson to have disposed osed of any incriminating evidence before he reached his Rockingham estate just a few miles from Nicole's walking King's back route we found a sweatshirt deep in the vegetation growing along one of the alternate routes to OJ's estate this is an area where you could drive along and toss it out of the car out of the passenger side as you drive up uh Elin Road in in this same area here I mean just just coincidental that this is here but that's U very typical of what we're talking about that we're looking for King point out vegetation along the route to OJs that he believes hasn't been searched you can see how uh deep this ice plant is MH um it's considerably deep and if you you move over this area you know you have a major root system that you'd be hard pressed to find U anything um because of the ability of it to penetrate and get down below the roots without a metal detector King says in addition to areas along this route there are a number of of trails and paths which could have been overlooked he showed us a trail just down from OJ's home on Rockingham that is hidden between the manicured Lawns and remote controlled security fences that only a street cop who worked this area for two decades would know about now one of the trails uh just just a mere two blocks north on Rockingham from OJ's is here at this uh private residence you drive in you never would see it and as you're looking forward uh this driveway turns into a trail that accesses uh the area alongside uh this resence down to mandaville Canyon how would OJ know about this area here well OJ walked in the in the neighborhood um he had his dogs and from time to time uh he would walk his dogs and a dog would find that trail in a second king pointed out that there could have been a pre-dug hole where evidence could have been secreted remember there was a shovel found in the back of OJ's Bronco or the items could have been tossed into the dense brush I'm sure no one has looked back here once you know about this particular trail with the proximity uh that it is to OJ's house it's a wonderful place uh for someone to plan to dump murder weapon and bloody clothes we the jury and the Abed entitled action find the defendant or orthal James not guilty of the crime of murder Across the Nation and around the world virtually everyone watched as Judgment Day came swiftly for OJ Simpson ladies and gentlemen of the jury is this your verdict so say you one so say you all in New York Nicole's former lover Keith Zam I can't believe it in Los Angeles Ronald Goldman's close friends Mike Davis and Jeff Keller worst possible thing that could happen in San Francisco OJ's brother Truman Simpson of October 1995 ladies and gentlemen your ver we'll hear more from friends and family members only on Inside Edition in just a moment but first a look at the reaction outside the courtroom James Simpson not guilty of the crime after sitting through so many days of heart-wrenching testimony Ronald Goldman's family was devastated that their last day in court ended like this last um June 13th 94 was the um worst nightmare of my life this is the second I will forever be proud of my son and my family thank you at a Simpson family press conference in the courtroom OJ's son Jason read a statement from his father people will come to understand and believe that I would not could not and did not kill anyone I knew that my son was innocent and I had the support of so many people all over the world for so many months you've been asking me how do I feel and I tell you I just feel like standing on top of this table and dancing a jig and I just thank you guys I believe that based upon you having participated in the arguments if this jury felt prosecution had proven this case and when ultimately you talk to them that's going to be where they came down I said from the beginning that race was not an issue in this case and should not be an issue I still feel the same way afterward a somber prosecution had this reaction and then I'd like to thank the members of our team you're wonderful you're wonderful you've given everything you've given your all throughout all of it we couldn't have done any of it without you you've done a beautiful job please don't let this make you lose faith in our system please don't let this deter you from doing a job you're so well qualified to do I'm not bitter and I'm not angry but I'd also like to thank the the lawyers uh on our prosecution team I am honored to we have but whether you agree with the jury's decision or not there is no doubt that this verdict will go down in history and there is also no doubt that no one is more affected by the jury's decision than the family members and close friends of the defendant and the victims there's a special place in hell for people like Johnny Cochran and OJ Simpson and they'll be roommates there Nicole's former lover Keith zoma remains absolutely certain that OJ Simpson committed the double murders and blames the Dream Team for allowing a guilty man to walk free Justice didn't Prevail scheming and lying pre prevailed that's what prevailed there's nothing remotely close to Justice here there's two dead people and there's no one in jail for it and the reason there's no one in jail for it is because he was just found not guilty not because that person's running around Los Angeles or anywhere else in the world and hasn't been identified this was played out before the whole country in the whole world and we all saw it we all saw the evidence and we all know the truth and the people that believe he's not guilty can try to mask that and hide that with excuses and reasons and and and things that don't make any sense but deep down everybody knows the truth these people didn't just die these people were murdered and all those people on his side of the table Johnny Cochran included and every other defense lawyer over there just shamed the legal profession by allowing a man to go free of murder what makes the verdict even more difficult for zamit to take is that he had been convinced the jury would find OJ guilty my heart is broken she died in vain she died for nothing and he's going to be walking free on the streets of Los Angeles in less than an hour it's not right there's nothing right about that and if he could speak to Nicole now this is what he would tell her I'm sorry that's all I can say I miss you think we did everything we could and it wasn't enough don't think I'll ever be able to walk away from it Situation's out of my hands that gets to you inside knowing there's nothing you can do I'm not going to look at the system anymore uh uh objectively Mike Davis and Jeff Keller can't believe that the man they believe is responsible for their friend Ron Goldman's death will walk away a free man it's crime God will give him what's what's coming to him though because that's that's the deal the guy upstairs knows what happened that's the deal and that's the bottom line Vindication will always come in the end whether it whether it's served in the court or out of the Court Justice will be served as Ron and Nicole's friends expressed their anger OJ Simpson's brother Truman was over come with a motion after the decision and now now we have time for us so you know he can go back to not talking to his kids on the phone and see his kids I mean that I mean I mean that that's the greatest joy of all right there but this trial was about more than just OJ simpsons's guilt or innocence it was about domestic violence police Integrity the power of celebrity and it was about racism word of the verdict quickly reached into the streets and neighborhoods of Los Angeles James Simpson not guilty of residents in South Central Los Angeles flocked to their Neighborhood clinic and Community Center run by Dr James ma an innocent man walked because the people spoke and we have to accept the word of the people it's a good feeling I bleed in my heart he didn't do it I know he didn't commit the crimes I know was somebody else probably had did it and as OJ Simpson left jail and headed for home a single Vivid question remained for all the parties in the case it was Jason Simpson who asked it for his father but when things have settled a bit I will pursue as my primary goal in life the killer or Killers who slaughtered Nicole and Mr Goldman they are out there somewhere whatever it takes to identify them and bring them in I'll provide somehow in 2016 prosecutor Chris Darden spoke to Inside Edition about the OJ Simpson case and says it still haunts him take a look was it worth it to take this case um no it was not worth it harsh words from former OJ Simpson prosecutor Chris Darden as he speaks out like never before he says 22 years later the trial of the century still haunts him orthal James Simpson not guilty of the crime of murder I think it has affected my legal career I think that I'm still paying for having been a member of the prosecution team Darden is now revealing he was blindsided when he lost his dream job as a prosecutor I found out I was no longer a member of the DA's office when I read it in the newspaper you're kidding me no I'm not kidding you someone called me and said Dary you had fire from the DA's office I'm like what no I didn't no way you know after all the blood I've shed hell no but it was true and he says the trial cost him even more I lost friends to a point that I hardly have any friends I could count my friends on four fingers to this day to this day day and he says he's still subjected to taunts by people who blame him for losing the case I put the gloves on OJ Simpson thank you very much it was Darden who had OJ try on the bloody gloves when they didn't fit defense attorney Johnny kran famously told jurors they must acquit I don't mind being responsible for the gloves I I think that I created some of the best courtroom drama in the history of American trials and the history of American jurist prudence and but it's not about drama it's winning a case Darden says there's plenty of blame to go around he claims the case was lost from the beginning before he even joined the team nine African-Americans were chosen as jurors experts warned they were more likely to side with Simpson I defy anybody to come and tell me hey I had a jury with nine African-Americans on it out of 12 here in the County of Los Angeles in 36 years that was the first time I saw that hadn't seen it before haven't seen it since he also so fumes that the case wasn't ready for trial why do they file charges before all the DNA evidence was in before all the forensics were in before they were ready the case was never ready incredibly he admits the drama over the gloves was an act of desperation desperate situations call for desperate moves so the gloves were a Hail Mary for you for me the gloves are a Hil Mary Darden is still in the courtroom but now as a defense attorney his 199 96 book in contempt has been re-released following all the publicity surrounding the FX miniseries and the ESPN documentary OJ made in America Darden says what didn't break him has made him stronger I've been through hell in back I'm still standing Chris Jenner is bombarded with questions about her portrayal in the Blockbuster TV drama the people versus OJ Simpson what do you think about the OJ the mob scene outside an LA restaurant show knows how much the series is reigniting America's fascination with the cas Chris Jenner was murder victim Nicole Brown Simpson's best friend and her ex-husband Robert Kardashian played by David schwimer was simpsons's lawyer oh J no please this this is when my daughter sleeps come on OJ please do not kill yourself in Kimmy's bedroom this scene shows Simpson threatening to kill himself in the bedroom of Kim Kardashian who was then 133 years old on the walls posters of teen heartthrobs from from the 1990s Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Joey Lawrence but in real life the heart pounding scene actually happened in chloi Kardashian's room according to published reports I learned a few things I didn't know about uh him pointing a gun at his head and trying to kill himself I wasn't aware that he had failed a lie detector test like the rest of America famed attorney Alan dwit is hooked on the show he was a member of simpsons's so-called Dream Team you say that's not exactly the right label no it was a nightmare team uh the lawyers egos were clashing everybody was trying to take credit we won not because we were good but because the prosecution was so bad the prosecution's biggest Heir which will be portray in a future episode allowing Simpson to try on the bloody gloves found at the crime scene they didn't fit if it doesn't fit you must AC quit once he tried on the glove and he was able to walk over to the jury and say it's too SM all he didn't have to testify the show is sparking outrage among cops who investigated the double homicide it's the LAPD on trial uh the brutal LAPD the racist LAPD retired Detective Tom Lang says the series unfairly portrays the police as over AED by Simpsons celebrity what really happened is two young people were brutally slaughtered two lives ended tragically and terribly but that seems to be in the back burner

Channel: Inside Edition

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Keywords: Inside edition, inside_edition, ie newsdesk, ie celebrity, obituary, celebrity, OJ simpson, 1994, bronco, criminal trial, the juice is loose, died, marcia clark, acquitted, ronald goldman, nicole brown simpson, kardashian, trial of the century, judge lance ito, true crime, murder, naked gun, nicole brown, oj simpson, oj simpson dead, oj simpson obituary, oj simpson trial, oj simpson reactions, oj simpson dead at 74, oj simpson cancer, oj simpson verdict, oj simpson trial reaction

Id: GWeNtP-sqd0

Length: 24min 6sec (1446 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 11 2024